STUDENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST I #00025121

About the Role

The Civil, Architectural and Environmental Engineering Department is seeking quality candidates to fill the role of Student Support Specialist. The position serves as the primary administrative and student support professional for graduate programs within the department. This position provides comprehensive advising and guidance to prospective and current graduate students regarding admissions, enrollment, academic progress, degree requirements, funding opportunities, and university policies. The position coordinates graduate program operations, manages student records and data, supports faculty and departmental leadership, and plays a critical role in promoting graduate student success from recruitment through degree completion.

Responsibilities

• Serve as the primary point of contact for prospective and current graduate students.
• Advise students on admissions, enrollment, registration, academic progress, degree requirements, and graduation processes.
• Coordinate graduate admissions processes and prepare admission and funding offer letters.
• Maintain graduate student records, databases, and documentation.
• Coordinate qualifying examinations, comprehensive examinations, thesis defenses, dissertation defenses, and other graduate milestones.
• Monitor student performance and assist with assessment and reporting activities.
• Assist with graduate scholarships, fellowships, assistantships, and student funding opportunities.
• Provide guidance to students regarding fellowship and scholarship applications.
• Track graduate assistant appointments and support evaluation and professional development processes.
• Serve as liaison between students, faculty, departmental leadership, and university offices.
• Assist with updates to graduate policies, procedures, and handbook materials.
• Work with department chair to assign graduate student office spaces.
• Serves as the assistant to the department's Associate Chair for Graduate Studies and Advising and to the department's Assistant Chair for Distance Education Programs and Advising.
• Supervise student employees as assigned.
• Perform other duties as assigned.

Work Environment

This position operates in a highly disruptive, collaborative administrative setting, supporting a diverse group of faculty, staff, and students.

Minimum Qualifications

• A high school diploma or an equivalent combination of education and experience and at least 1 year of experience from which comparable knowledge, skills and abilities can be acquired is necessary.

Preferred Qualifications

• A bachelor's degree.
• Strong organizational skills with exceptional attention to detail.
• Demonstrated ability to work both independently and collaboratively in a team environment.
• Ability and motivation to work in a highly interruptive and busy environment.